Main

Rhubarb Cake

This was a very belated birthday cake for my rhubarb-loving husband, Larry. Both of us have finally recovered after over four weeks of a bronchial virus that put us out of commission for that long.

I had torn out a recipe for a rhubarb-almond cake from the April issue of Bon Appetit, meaning to try it long before the bronchitis hit. Larry’s mid-May birthday passed without a cake, let alone much of a celebration. Better late than never, I finally made it the end of the month.

It took me by surprise that the baking time suggested by the BA folks – 70 to 80 minutes – was way off. Fortunately, my intuition thought the time was excessive, so I set my timer for 50 minutes – and it was done! Since my oven runs a little hot, I suggest a baking time of 50-55 minutes in my version below.

Larry, always an honest critic, loved the cake but thought it needed more rhubarb. Next time, I’ll add a couple more stalks. A recipe that calls for two sticks of butter for a pretty small cake feels like one of Ina’s – aka The Butter Queen – so I plan on trying only one stick next time.

Slice each rhubarb stalk into thirds. Set aside 6 of them, then cut the rest into ½-inch pieces.

Using a food processor, combine the flour, almonds, baking powder and salt. Pulse until mixture feels sandy to the touch.

Using either a standing or handheld mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla at medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. At the eggs, one at a time, and beat another 2 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low, then gradually add the dry ingredients, next the yogurt. Beat until just blended, then use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides. Add the chopped rhubarb and mix again by hand.

Scrape the batter into the tart pan, smooth with spatula. Place the 6 reserved long pieces of rhubarb on top of the tart in an attractive pattern. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

Bake 50-55 minutes until cake is golden brown and a tester comes out clean.

Cool cake before removing side of tart pan.

3.3.3077

You May Also Like:

20 Responses to Rhubarb Cake

This looks fantastic Liz! i adore Rhubarb and I have about 20 pounds of it right in at the commerical space to turn into jam 🙂 This recipe looks like a keeper, I am pinning it for later. Gorgeous photo!

You’re smart to trust your cooking intuition – I remember learning at a food blogging conference once that magazine recipes aren’t as well tested as cookbook recipes, and are usually shorter on ingredients and instruction so as not to scare off the reader. Do you think that’s true? I’m also with you on the butter overload (although for me, Ina adds too much salt).